The present invention relates to containers, more specifically to containers for holding viscous fluids, such as paint.
Conventionally, paint is packaged in a cylindrical metal container having an upper rim with an annular groove formed therein that frictionally receives an annular protrusion of a lid for closing the container. If the container is a one gallon container, the container is typically provided with a wire bail handle connected to mounting ears secured to a side wall of the container. While the foregoing construction of a conventional paint container has benefits, it has drawbacks as well. A screw driver must be used to pry the lid off the paint container. In addition, paint typically collects in the groove of the rim, which, when solidified, will cause difficulty in the re-application or removal of the lid at some later time. Also, small amounts of rust often form on the metal of the container and then fall into the paint in the container.
Efforts have been made to address some of the foregoing deficiencies in conventional metal paint containers. For the most part, these efforts have failed to comprehensively address the foregoing and other deficiencies of conventional paint containers. Recently, however, published U.S. patent application Ser. No. U.S 2001/0025865A1 to Bravo et al. (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,500) disclosed a square plastic paint container having an integral handle with a handle passage. The Bravo et al. container further includes a threaded lid, a bail handle and a raised pour spout. This construction provides numerous benefits over conventional paint containers. Some commercially available paint mixing machines, however, require a counterweight to be inserted into the handle passage of the Bravo et al. container to balance the container during mixing.
The present invention is directed to a square plastic paint container that is facile to handle, but does not require a handle passage extending therethrough. In this manner, the need for a counterweight is eliminated. Additionally, the external dimension of a container without an integral handle and handle passage can be less for the same internal volume than a container having such a handle and passage.